The selling of SkyBoxes

#1 Screenshots? ;)

#2 They are all Torque-Ready. Meaning just pop the folders in your Skies directory, and it's already set up for use.

Lavender:

Dust Bowl:

Pollution:

Cold Day

Alive Night:

Imagine how many gamers you'll attract if you boast these beautiful skies.

#3 Too bad, I just released mine for free...
www.garagegames.com/blogs/29270/13682

#4 I saw. Ours are quite a bit different though. Mine use 512x512 textures.

#5 Yes, I have generated mines with a more apocalyptic feeling, they are currently used in a game I'm collaborating: Darkwind: War On Wheels.
They are 512x512 pixels too.
I tested larger size (2048x2048) to have nice starfields, but the loss of performance isn't worth it.

I considered selling them, and it was my first intention, just like you. I'm not sure it would work unless the skies come with some buildings. Especially as many - and me recently - have offered free skies already.

#6 Just a walking billboard, aren't we?

#7 Why don't you use Plimus for setting up a store (doesn't cost anything and only 0.75 US$ per transaction) and make a website addtionally with screenies of the skies. How many skies are included? I'd pay for some well made skies as this is something I always need. What about 30 or 50 skies in a mega-pack and sell it for 10 US$ or so? If they are good, count me in as customer.

Edit = url to plimus added

#8 Honestly, sky boxes are everywhere, and free, and just too easy to make -- you can make one in 5 minutes with the free version of Bryce. If you're a 2D artist, a good themed texture set would probably be a better seller -- (like "cartoony fantasy", "Old west textures", etc).

#9 @maxwell: I'm thinking the same as Jaimi here. Anyone can make skyboxes with Terragen or Bryce. Those are basic skyboxes, like the ones you posted above. I doubt people will pay for that (maybe a few people who have absolutely no clue how to make a skybox... but I doubt you will sell much). However, if you can make more complex skyboxes, like with planets, spaceships etc, perhaps it could work.
I released some more complex ones for free on a blogpost some time ago. (www.garagegames.com/blogs/2137/12767), eventhough they were free, and more complex then yours, not many people are using them I think (don't really know though).
Anyway, like Martin says, no one can stop you from setting up a plimus account and try it out.

#10 Alright, I get it. SkyBoxes != Money.

Any ideas on how I could get some decent money with my developer skills?

#11 What kind of skills do you have?

#12 I'm primarily a programmer, but I can make some alright models, and okay textures.

I'm great with making environments feel right.

#13 Programmer skills will pay off in the long run (like when you're 30) - in the meantime, there are quite a few people making content packs (models and textures, with sample levels). If you are talented, there is a market for that. It won't make you rich of course (unless you're incredibly talented, incredibly prolific, and incredibly market-savvy).

#14

Quote:you can make one in 5 minutes with the free version of Bryce

That's right and wrong.
If you look at the second sky from my free skies pack (check link above), it required 1 hour per side of rendering, even with low quality settings.
Setting up a sky to look nice is fast with experience, but to output them is something different.

Also providing correct sun position, accordingly to the sky, require some time too.
I certainly spent more than 35 hours of work on the sky pack I'm giving away.

#15 And don't forget these points:

Even if it is simple to create the sky boxes or not, there are people out there like me who simply don't want to cope with how to make them. Instead of taking the time to learn how to make skies (and more important: how to make _good_ skies!) I would love to spend that time more on game logic and the fun factor of the game. I mean that's the basic idea behind the content packs in general.

Some time ago an artist asked me the same question how to make some bucks with game stuff and I told him the same. Make a really really good sky pack or 2 with 50 skies in it so that every flavour is covered in that packs and sell each one for 10 to 15 US$. I'm pretty sure there are people that buy it. Sure, you won't get rich out of that, but it will generate a little money here and there. And more important: Once you made some good skies, there's an option for upcoming contracts if people like your work.

Well, just my 2 Euro cents :-)

#16 Also it is something that you can start soon and bring it soon to the end.
So in no time you have a little succes :o)

I think just do it and after that,...

you have you first content pack. Maybe the first one out of many.